


gluing back together

by DragonEyez



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Light Dom/sub, Other, Porn with Feelings, Post-Finale, i almost named this after a damn khalid song, spoilers for futura free technically, theyre sad im sad everyones fuckin sad lets go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 11:51:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15971744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonEyez/pseuds/DragonEyez
Summary: Outside, they rounded the corner of the building, leaning against the wall with Grand at their side, staring up at the black hole that had been opened within the Mirage, watching the pinpoints of light that were so alien and yet, comforting in a way. They could feel Grand staring at them, waiting for some explanation, but they enjoyed the silence for some time before acknowledging it. It was nice; sitting here, staring at the sky, loosely intertwining their fingers with Grand’s in the barest approximation of hand holding.





	gluing back together

**Author's Note:**

> bring back tm actually? im not ready for spring?
> 
> title from [matches to paper dolls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF42Axq9cjQ) by dessa
> 
> thanks to dora for beta reading

It was after the defeat of Advent, and the Rapid Evening, and the pacification of Volition. After the death of Quire and the the losses they’d suffered. The Notion, or at least those who were still in the Quire System, and assorted friends and allies gathered at Cascabel and Even’s new diner. Or new to them in the fact that they were the new owners. Echo had a very fond memory of the strawberry milkshake they’d had had here the last time they’d been on Gift-3. _The World_ was tethered right above the building, open for folks to go on board if they chose to, but everyone had agreed that it was simply too small a space to accommodate that many people. There were more attending now than there had been even at Patina (but this would undoubtedly be better). Echo knew it would be, watching people file in, some bringing food, turning it into a potluck. Cascabel was jokingly complaining about having the spotlight stolen away, but even he couldn’t maintain the attitude for too long in the face of the festive atmosphere.

Echo sat at the counter with a glass of jellyjuice, watching Ballad sit with Surge and Janey, asking about the woman’s tattoos. As Fourteen talked with Vanya about the state of the Arc (privately, they noticed how small jets of steam occasionally burst from their joints and a few spots where their torso had been repaired and the way their hands strayed to rub away phantom pains. A worrying sign, but not something to be brought up in this moment). Grand was also there, which surprised Echo the most. Maybe it shouldn’t’ve, but it did. Because Echo well and truly believed that he would vanish once the dust settled. A ghost in the wind once more. Realistically, they knew he would have felt an obligation say awkward goodbyes this time around. ~~Wouldn’t have scuttled away with no word or warning, leaving half-dead compatriots on their doorstep like it was _fine_~~. 

But still. Past action bred current fears. 

Grand, for his part in this, seemed reserved, even less full of himself than he had been upon his second turn. Eye bags that couldn’t be hid under makeup and Mesh made him look a good handful of years older then he was, which left Echo feeling...something. Unsettled maybe? Relieved? That his actions weighed on him like that? But he looked a little lighter as he chatted away with Morning’s, who was animatedly discussing something with him (probably Calci-Yummm, or whatever Morning’s newest iteration of it was). Watching them talk remind Echo of conversations they’d had with Grand what felt like years ago, when Grand was trying to convince Echo to be in his werewolf TV show or whatever the fuck it had been, and Echo had just wanted him to _be quiet_. But it had been a fond irritation then, and that emotion was reflected in Grand’s expression now. They let him sit there, being hit with idea after idea for a few minutes longer while they emptied their cup, and when that was done they set it on the counter and went to do what they always did. 

“Hey Morning’s. How’re you doing?”

“Good, I’m doin’ real good. The Brink’s doin’ good too. Hey did y’all know Grey and Demani are gettin’ married real soon?”

“No I don’t think they mentioned that to us?” Echo raised an eyebrow at the happy couple from across the room. “When’s the wedding, do you know?”

“I mean I know they’ve been talkin’ ‘bout some dates but I don’t have the specifics yet.” Morning’s scratched at his chin. “They’ll probably be sendin’ out invitations sooner than later though, so keep an eye out for that. Or don’t in Gig’s case? Please tell me you can’t pop your own eye out all of the sudden.”

“Well I-” Echo clapped a hand down on Grand’s shoulder before he could even _begin_ that thought.

“Not at the moment, no. Hey, you mind if I steal Grand for a little while?”

“Ah nah, go for it. I’m not tryin’ to cramp your style or nothin, y’know?”

“Thanks.” They smiled at the boy and pulled on Grand’s not-as-shitty-as-it-could-be jacket, indicating for him to come with. Luckily, Grand followed with no hesitation so it was easy for Echo to wind their way through the crowded diner, mumbling some excuses about fresh air. 

Outside, they rounded the corner of the building, leaning against the wall with Grand at their side, staring up at the black hole that had been opened within the Mirage, watching the pinpoints of light that were so alien and yet, comforting in a way. They could feel Grand staring at them, waiting for some explanation, but they enjoyed the silence for some time before acknowledging it. It was nice; sitting here, staring at the sky, loosely intertwining their fingers with Grand’s in the barest approximation of hand holding. 

“Y’know, I didn’t expect you to actually be here tonight.” They broke the silence, edging their foot onto the equivalent of a cliff they _knew_ was crumbling. Grand’s fingers tightened around Echo’s, and they could hear the tired inhale of breath before he let out a shaky, tired laugh.

“Yeah. I- uh- I’m gonna be real honest: I didn’t either. I didn’t, I didn’t think I’d be wanted. I went back into my room at least 5 times. I-” Another long, drawn out breath. “I fucked up real bad, Echo. I know I did, and I knew I was the entire time, and I kept trying to make excuses and justifications but- Shit. You could’ve died. _Again_. Saving me. You almost killed Ballad, just for me and _memorandums_ I know I don’t deserve it but-”

“Hey.” Echo tugged him so that he actually had to look at them instead of staring off into the middle distance. “You fucked up. We know. _I_ know. And I’m not- I’m not just going to sit here and pretend that you never hurt anybody, or that you didn’t join literal fascists because it was your ‘ticket out,’ but I’m also not going to ignore that you did the right thing. I brought back my brother, I think you can stay to and fix your shit. Third time’s a charm, right?”

There was a flurry of emotions crossing Grand’s face, and Echo didn’t even want to begin to try and interpret what they all meant, but they did recognize the way he dipped his head down, cautiously, like they might lash out or retract if he had misread the situation. They definitely didn’t have time for that. There had been months and miles and factions between them for too long, and here, tonight, Echo had had enough. 

They pulled him down by the lapels of his jacket, smashing their faces together in an out-of-practice but still familiar kiss. They breathed in Grand’s squeak of surprised, pushed him against the wall of the building, wishing for all the world they could freeze the moment. Grand took a few moments, unsure of himself, before truly sinking into the kiss, reaching one hand up to tangle itself in Echo’s half-done braid. The kiss lacked the ferocity, biting teeth and the push and pull of angerattraction, that had colored their past ones. There was only the release of all the anger, fear, sadness, and pure loneliness of war and where they’d fallen in it. When Echo pulled back, they rested their forehead against Grand’s chest, still clutching his coat like a lifeline. 

“And now we can work on it together.”

“You know I can’t stay.”

The words struck Echo in their core, ice cold and devastating. Why had they expected any different, what about it was surprising, why-

“Echo? Are you okay we can-”

They stood on their tiptoes and bit down on an exposed sliver of skin, laving at it until the were sure the mark would stand, a dark purple that would last for a good while.

“Echo…” Grand whined. “Excerpts above I-”

“ _The World_?” Echo asked, finishing the thought.

“ _Yes_.”

The pair moved up the ramp of _The World_ as quickly as humanly possible, hand in hand. Thankfully the ship was seemingly empty and they didn’t have to awkwardly explain why they were there (or why Grand had an Extremely Noticeable boner). When Echo moved past Grand’s old room, he made a questioning noise, but Echo shushed him. “Trust me.” 

They stopped by a supply closet and pulled out a bundle of corded rope they knew Tender had hidden there once upon a time, and then tugged Grand all the way to the captain’s room, or as they liked to refer to it, the only room with an actual bed. Grand pushed them against the door as soon as it was shut, seemingly unable to keep his hands to himself but unwilling to touch too much at the same time. His fingers were flighty, bouncing from Echo’s hips the hem of their shirt to the waistline of their pants. Firmly, they pushed away to look at him, holding up the rope so it was in his line of sight. “You wanna do this?”

“ _Please_.”

“Okay, strip then.” 

Grand scrambled to do as told, struggling to pull off the jacket that Echo had officially decided was truly the worst in reality. They almost wanted to help, but they settled on locking the door and moving over to the bed, removing their own shirt and shoes (and the eyepatch as an afterthought), waiting for their...for Grand to hurry up. Once he’d gotten down to his stupid-shiny pants, Echo stifled a laugh and said “Come here.”

He did, quickly, and this time Echo couldn’t stop the soft smile the rose to their lips as they kissed him again, unbuttoning his pants and sliding a hand down the front of them to palm at Grand’s straining erection. “Echo…”

“Shhh. Here.” In a practiced move, half a Reverie Move™ and half a well-practiced dance move, Grand landed on the mattress with a soft “mmph” and Echo straddled his hips, lifting the rope up in his eyesight once more. “Color?”

“Green, please.”

They pulled his wrists above his head, securing them to the headboard with a simple but sturdy knot. 

“Can you keep your legs still or do I need to tie those down too?” 

Grand shook his head, and Echo reached a hand into his hair (When did it get this long? How had they missed that?), giving the unspoken promise of roughness. “That’s not an answer. Can you be good or not?”

“I can be good Echo I can be good please-”

“Shhh. I believe you. So stay still.” They punctuated the order with a small nip to Grand’s bottom lip, before sitting back, resting their weight on his thighs (although it was as much for their own convenience as it was to ensure he kept his promise). They studied Grand’s face for the first time in a long time, and what they saw surprised them. His hair was longer, yes, and he looked more tired, but there was more to it than that. There were wrinkles where before there had only been smooth skin. Healing cuts and scrapes all over his face and arms, likely gained from when he fled from Rapid Evening agents, but strange all the same. 

Gently, they kissed down his neck, scraping some stretches of skin with their teeth, leaving a few marks here and there, but for the most part, just tasting the slight salt of the sweat he’d built up during their activities and breathing in the unmistakable scent of motor oil and the weird smell of something singed from his hard light tools and the ridiculous designer cologne he’d always worn. It was grounding for Echo, a reassurance that Grand was undeniably _here_. 

Below them, Grand whined slightly, wriggling his hips in an attempt to redirect their attention. Echo snorted, adjusting their position so they could grind their own clothed arousal against Grand’s. The whine turned into a gasp and Echo watched with a measure of satisfaction as he tried to reach for them but couldn’t. “Don’t be a brat. I’ll take care of you, so let me take my time. I thought you said you could be good?”

“I said I’d be good not that I’d let you-” Echo rolled their hips again, effectively cutting him off. They bit their lip to muffle a groan of their own. It had been...a while. There hadn’t been time, really, to take care of themself, and though Iota had offered, and they had occasionally taken her up on it, it hadn’t been what they would call truly satisfying. The sex had been _good_ , no contest, but it didn’t quite scratch an itch that they’d had. Sick of teasing, they lifted up off Grand (relishing in the distressed noises he made at that) and shucked their pants and underwear off in one motion before digging through the side table drawer to find the small bottle of lube they knew was in it. Once they found it, they returned to the bed, settling onto their knees. 

“Some incentive to keep being good for me.” Flipping the cap on the bottle, Echo squeezed some lube on their fingers, allowing it to warm up before laying the bottle to the side and shifting once more so they were bracing their non-slippery hand against Grand’s chest and began to slowly open themself up. Their eyes slid half-shut, chasing their own pleasure as much as they were putting on show. They went slow, reveling in the warmslick sensation and the way it felt to stretch around their own fingers. The way Grand looked up at them in pure rapture and unguarded _need_ didn’t hurt either. They wanted to maintain the moment forever. But Grand’s keening and Echo’s own steadily growing want combined in an overwhelming force, so they wiped their hand on Grand’s ugly, shiny pants (“Hey!” “I’m pretty sure I just improved the way they looked.”) and pulled down his pants enough that his cock was freed. It was a flushed red color, leaking profusely, and Echo couldn’t help but lick a teasing stripe from base to tip, barely tipping their head back fast enough to avoid getting hit in the face when Grand thrust his hips up in desperation. 

“Hey!”

“It’s not _my_ fault you’re being such a _tease_.”

“Look I can le-”

“No!”

“Then be _still_ , Grand.”

“How am I supposed to be still when you’re-” he cut off with a shuddering breath when Echo lightly thumbed at this tip of his cock, spreading around pre-cum but still watching his face. “Holy shit you’re going to kill me.”

Instead of responding, Echo lined themself up over Grand, just barely out of reach. “Color?”

“Greengreengreen please Echo just-”

Echo sank down slowly, reveling in the sensation of fullness. They watched Grand’s stomach muscles clench, doing his best to hold himself off. They were proud, in a way, of the mess they made of him when they’d barely touched him at all. His eyes had slid shut in pleasure, head lolled back, and Echo frowned lightly at that. That wouldn’t do at all. “Eyes open Mr. Magnificent.”

He complied, still too out of it to even correct Echo about how it was _not_ a surname. With Grand’s eyes on them, Echo really got to work, their pace fast now that they had finally gotten what they’d been wanting as well. Grand nearly went cross-eyed a few times, lost in pleasure, snapping his hips a few times but for the most part desperately trying to follow Echo’s order. Echo couldn’t really blame him; the drag of him inside them was enough to nearly send them over the edge several times. Done dragging it out, they readjusted the angle so they hit that spot deep inside them and reached down to touch themself. 

Between the way Grand was looking up at him and the sensations of pleasure building up through what felt like their entire body, and Echo tipped over the edge, hips finally stilling as their body shook and they braced themself against the mattress, hands bracketing either side of Grand’s body as the waves racked their entire body. Grand followed them soon after, shouting loud enough to draw the attention of any other person who might have been aboard, but Echo didn’t care. They leaned down, kissing the man under them like they were drowning and he was air. Like if they just held on long enough, they could keep time from moving forward and it would just be the two of them, in the bed on the ship that they had once called home together. 

Echo pulled back ever so slightly, face a breath away from Grand's while they cupped his face with both their hands. They were mildly aware of the fact that Grand was straining against the ropes holding his wrists above his head, trying to touch Echo, to hold them too, but they can't focus on anything else but the steady ache settled in the pit of their chest. "I know you can't stay, but please?" They whispered.

Grand looked at them like his heart was breaking. 

“I want to. Shit Echo. More than anything I wish I could.”

They sighed deeply, kissing him once more, this one lighter. “I know.”

Finally moving, they lifted themself off Grand (not even avoiding making a face as they felt his cum dripping out of them) and untied his wrists. They massaged them gently to make sure his blood flow was all right as he kicked off his pants. Echo flopped onto the bed next to him and threw an arm over their face. “Can you go find a washcloth or some wipes or something. I’m _slimy_.”

Grand made an offended noise. “Why can’t _you_ go find them?”

“I did all the work!” 

“Bull _shit_!”

They rolled over to face him and raised their eyebrows ever so slightly. “Please?”

He held out for three seconds. “Fine, but don’t say I never did anything for you.”

“Thank you.”

With much whining and gnashing of teeth, Grand pulled himself out of bed and came back a few minutes later with a warm wet cloth, throwing it at Echo. Instead of yelling at him, they just cleaned themself up and then wiped him down as well. They dropped it on the floor, resolving to deal with it later. Pulling Grand next to them, they curled into his side, resting their head on his chest and wrapping their arms around them. He rested his chin on their head, encircling them as well.

“Everyone’s gonna wonder where we went.”

“I could not give even a single fuck right now Grand.”

There was a pause, and then Grand took a shallow breath like he was about to say something, but Echo beat him to it. “I know it’s complicated, and I know you can’t stay, even though I wish with all the Tides you could.” 

“We’ll figure it out?”

“Damn right we will. Now shush.”

“I’m still mad you ruined those pants thought.”

**Author's Note:**

> as always, comments and constructive criticism is always welcome, and i can be found at [theunacceptablepylades](https://theunacceptablepylades.tumblr.com/) on tumblr or [@QueerlyDeparted](https://twitter.com/QueerlyDeparted) on twitter and also, if you like what i do, consider buying me a [coffee](https://ko-fi.com/queerlydeparted)


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